In Afghanistan, living openly as a Christian is impossible. Converts have two options: flee the country or risk being killed by the state or the tribesmen.
Christians in Afghanistan are counting over 20 years of worshiping in hiding and there is no hope of religious freedom as the Taliban took power on 15th August 2021.
The international watchdog for religious freedom has condemned the Taliban regime for murder, intolerance of religious liberty and Shari’a laws that don’t give space for freedom of conscience.
“Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban seized control of the country,” says the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report released Thursday 29th October 2021.
The report mentioned the Taliban Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice sanctioned on September 2021, which uses a notoriously violent hard-line Islamist policing system.
“The ministry recently banned barbershops from shaving or trimming men’s beards and warned hair salons not to give Western-styled haircuts,” the report says emphasizing how religion is only practiced as the Taliban dictate.
Afghan Christians converted from Islam, all are considered “apostates” and according to Afghan law, apostasy is punished by death.
Families and communities can disown and persecute converted members for fear of being counted accomplices or for the honour of their families and communities.
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| USCIRF report screenshot: Apostasy is when one denounces Islam. Converting to Christianity carries the death sentence in Afghanistan |
Christian networks estimated 10,000 to 12,000 Christian converts throughout Afghanistan who have practiced underground over the past 20 years.
The Christian persecution is also worsened by a feeling that those who convert to Christianity find it easy to receive refugee status in countries with high numbers of Christians especially the West, making Christianity a political issue.
“According to reports received by USCIRF, the Taliban have reportedly gone door-to-door looking for U.S. allies, former government workers, rights activists, and Christian converts,” the report said.
One leader of a house church network received a letter on August 12 from Taliban militants threatening him and his family. Some Christians have turned their phones off and moved to undisclosed locations, the report said.
The Open Doors report ranked Afghanistan second after North Korea in suppressing religious freedom before the Taliban took power.
“In Afghanistan, living openly as a Christian is impossible. Converts have two options: flee the country or risk being killed by the state or the tribesmen. Christians from a Muslim background can also be sent to a psychiatric hospital because leaving Islam is considered a sign of insanity” the Open Doors report said.
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